Love was born at Christmas
by MissBesanii
Summary: Zoey beat Dawn to asking Ash, so now Dawn hasn't got a partner. Who should coincidentally walk in to save the day? Christmas fic, mini fic. Ikarishipping as main, others are Contest, Firered, Shootsclone and others may appear. Discontinued. Sorry.
1. No need to worry!

"What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if _Christmas_, perhaps, means a little bit more?"  
_~Dr. Seuss_

Love was born at Christmas.

* * *

"Great…" She sighed to her fellow friend, Piplup. The tiny penguin Pokémon stared up with its large eyes to its blue haired trainer as she continued to moan. "Who am _I _going to go with!? I can't go alone, that's embarrassing."

"Piiip…" It grumbled, Dawn had good reason to be complaining this time.

She glared at her ticket, her lips pouted and her frown furrowed:

_As a well known and selected Top Coordinator, we would be honoured to be graced with your presence at our Annual Christmas Ball to celebrate a successful year for you and your fellow competitors. This invitation allows yourself and a guest if you so wish, details printed overleaf. _

_We would be very grateful if you do decide to take part in this splendid event._

_Yours truly, Mr Contesta._

She flicked it over to see the envelope; "Dawn and Guest."

"Who can be my guest!?" Of course Zoey beat her to the bat, she had only just realised she would need someone to take with her and her red-headed friend had asked Ash. With Ash being Ash, he stuttered and tripped over his words and ended up saying yes.

"I'm sorry Dawn," he said; "I should have said no and come with you. After all, you're my best friend!"

Brock simply refused, saying it was weird with their age difference. Really he was saying he already had a date that day, he hadn't stopped babbling about it before she had the invitation.

Kenny had got in touch to flash his invitation about, but blushed when Dawn flicked hers to the screen too. Thinking she hadn't been invited, he'd already gone and asked Leona, who wouldn't have been offended to be the guest as she wasn't a coordinator.

May already had her partner without having to ask. She'd gone the previous year, and it was the first time Drew had ever admitted his insanely obvious crush on the beautiful brunette. Even Ash was less oblivious than May in this case. It would be their one year anniversary on that day, of course they were going. Dawn had never met Drew, and so she was eager to meet her close friend's partner. Having a partner was vital to look good at this occasion.

So Dawn sat there, huffing as she drummed through her memory to find someone. Of course asking just anybody would be weird, if she asked a distant friend she would seem desperate. It had to be someone she knew.

Ash's voice startled her as he began shouting something over her rambling thoughts. She droned him out as she continued to think.

Naturally, she couldn't keep his voice out for long due to his abnormally loud mouth; "What did you say!?"

Though she couldn't hear the reply, she didn't have to look up to know who it was. Ash never got more riled up about someone than his current main rival; Paul.

She groaned, she would have to walk past them to get upstairs for peace and quiet. She'd receive some snide comment from Paul and she too would become riled. Then Ash would battle and she would cheer him on, if he won then they would have to celebrate, if he lost she would have to comfort him again.

Staying right there was probably the best idea.

Then another great idea suddenly propped up in her head, she sprang up from her seat before she could decide it was actually the stupidest thought she had ever had.

"Piplup-lup?" Her little curious friend questioned her sudden action.

"I think my problems may have just been answered with the uncanny convenience of coincidence!" She grinned at her little tongue twister. Piplup just tilted its head and then followed inquisitively.

She slowed her pace to a casual walk and pulled together a calm façade, suddenly her idea had its problems; how was she going to go about asking Paul to a Ball? _Paul! _Just talking to him was difficult, and now she wanted to ask him to celebrate Christmas? He seemed like the type of person who would be a scrooge… Not a party sort of person…

"Oh well, it won't hurt trying, right?"

"Piplup-pip!" Her blue Pokémon suddenly realised what its trainer intended to do and screeched its name in warning.

"No need to worry, Piplup! I may as well ask because I'll never know if I don't, right?"

"Piip…" It groaned, slapping its flipper over its eyes and blindly walked after Dawn.

With a quick adjustment of her bandanna and hair, she straightened her skirt and pulled her top up a little then walked towards the sound of her best friend's yelling; "What do you mean, pathetic!? Monferno's been battling better than it ever did with you!"

The cool, deep voice of Paul began to drone into her ear as she got closer, each word he said made her feel more nervous.

_Maybe this isn't such a good idea… _She stopped walking when she got through the door, looking between the two clashing trainers. She would have stayed frozen under their glares if Piplup hadn't strolled right into her shin, causing her to stumble forward.

_Think of something to say… Anything! I really should have thought this through… _She groaned to herself mentally, but outside her sheepish grimace turned into a pleasant smile as she pulled back a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Oh hey Paul." She muttered casually as she walked to Ash, of course she had to get rid of him. She would have to lie; "Umm… Brock wants to see you."

Would Brock understand her intentions? She could only hope he would so Ash wouldn't cause uproar of this insane plan.

"Why, what's wrong?" Ash's tone was still fairly sharp, but it had softened significantly to speak to her.

She fumbled around helplessly in her head for another lie, settling on one she knew Ash couldn't resist; "It's about Pikachu." She shrugged nonchalantly, acting very well.

"Oh okay!" His voice brightened suddenly, but his frown deepened as he shot a dark glare to Paul; "I'll talk to you later." He muttered, and then hurried out of the room.

There was an awkward silence for a few moments as Dawn listened to Ash's regular jog rhythm. Paul suddenly chuckled; "What do you want?"

She glanced up at him from her feet and dropped her eyes instantly; he was glaring at her now. She knew it wasn't pleasant, but never understood why Ash squirmed so much. Now she understood; he was extremely intimidating.

"What?" She foolishly mumbled, as innocently as possible.

It was obvious he saw straight through her. His response made that clear; "Well you obviously lied to your oblivious friend. You're a poor liar. So I assumed you wanted to say something to me?"

"Errr…" _Where to start… Oh hey Paul! Want to go to a ball with me? _She ranted sarcastically in her head, he tapped his foot impatiently.

"If you don't, then stop wasting my time." He turned his back to her, and she panicked; "No wait!"

She couldn't see his face, but she knew he was smirking; he gave off a smug atmosphere whenever he was and she was trembling under it now. He stopped walking and shoved his hands in his pockets again.

"If that's a love letter, I really don't think I'm the one to be asked advice about your boyfriend." He chuckled darkly at her, amused by the sudden blush in her cheeks.

She glanced down at the note as she rethought his words; "Who Ash!? No no, you got it wrong!"

"Like I care." He waved her off casually; "can I go now?"

"Actually, it's an invitation."

He raised an eyebrow sceptically, humouring her with his presence and keeping quiet to allow her to continue.

"Only a select few coordinators were invited, and I got one!" She could see he lost complete interest with the word of her chosen career, and so quickly added; "and there are a lot of top trainers going too! I hear Solidad is taking Lance!" She suddenly swooned at his name, the Kanto Champion had recently been the front of the news for defeating his 100th challenger, and he wasn't exactly an eyesore.

Paul also had reasons to want to meet Lance, though nowhere near Dawn's. He listened to her a little more as she idiotically mumbled her words in a continuous flurry.

"And-so-I-was-wondering-if-you'd-like-to-come-with-me?"

He laughed freely, she was stunned by the humour he found in her question, slightly embarrassed too.

"You're kidding, right?"

The blush became more evident on her face.

His laughter calmed down into a sheepish groan; "you're not kidding…"

"I'm sorry," she muttered; "it was stupid of me to ask you."

He sighed impatiently; "we'll talk about it later, your friend is coming back." True to his word, Ash's footsteps came into hearing.

"Why?" She whispered with the confusion evident in her face.

He didn't need to whisper to hide their topic of conversation, for his answer could apply to anything; "I've been taught better than to talk down females. Seeing as I already have been bad mannered to you, it would be wrong of me to ignore you again."

She looked up into his eyes and they locked for a second, his showed no hint of a smile at all. She tried her best to smile at him though, but it soon wiped off when Ash entered the room frowning at her.

"Why did you lie, Dawn?"

Brock obviously didn't click on. She groaned mentally as she patched up a new lie, Paul obviously didn't want her to tell the truth by the way he stiffened and backed up a little.

"I wanted to tell Paul not to battle you today because of Pikachu, and I knew you would've told me to shut up. Sorry." She glanced over to Paul as he cleared his throat from amusement of her bad lie.

Ash seemed to buy it; "Okay, thanks Dawn."

"You're welcome." She smiled and spoke through gritted teeth.

Ash smiled easily back at her, compared to Paul who only cracked the darker smiles, Ash was a very bright and bouncy boy; "Brock actually did tell me that dinner is ready." He then practically skipped off through the hall again, saying a quick "see you Paul!" and hurrying off to eat.

Dawn watched after him for a moment, then glanced back at Paul, who had his hands back in his pockets and his eyes to the ground.

"You go and eat. We can talk later." He said monotonously and headed for the door that led to the busy streets of Sunyshore city.

"When?" She blurted, and he shrugged simply; "I'm going to train on the beach. Just come over when you're ready."

She nodded; "Thanks Paul!"

It was only by saying his name did she identify him again. Paul. _Paul! _Why was he giving her a chance? He certainly didn't seem the type to want to talk about it. Why would he give her, Dawn; the happy-go-lucky _coordinator _who's high pitched voice he couldn't stand a chance?

Or was he setting her up to be let down? Did he want to make a fool of her? Or do it privately so he didn't have to show weakness to Ash?

The pit of her stomach contorted angrily, and she suddenly wasn't sure whether it was because she was hungry or the fact that she could be facing rejection.

Not from anyone, Paul.

_Paul!_

How could she have thought this was a good idea? Not only would it damage her self esteem to be rejected by a good looking guy such as Paul, but it was Paul. He would mock her for as long as they bumped into each other, he wouldn't have to say anything but one glance would be enough to make her blush. Of course she couldn't ditch Ash because of it, but as long as she travelled with him, Paul would be there to make her life a misery.

"Dawn!" An impatient shout came from the other room where Ash was located.

"Piplup…" Her penguin Pokémon groaned at the look of worry spread across said trainer's face, it nuzzled her leg as its stomach growled. Dawn broke from her spaced out, bewildered look to the door Paul had left from and picked up her starter Pokémon.

"No need to worry, Piplup. Let's go eat."

* * *

**So it's not the most original of plots, but neither is Christmas. So woop. Paul will like christmas.  
**

**Ikarishipping - Paul and Dawn (If you didn't know that, get out.)  
Fireredshipping - Zoey and Ash  
Contestshipping - Drew and May  
Shootscloneshipping - Kenny and Leona****  
If you don't like any of the pairings, don't read. =] This is going to be a short fic. Not a one-shot, but not a novel like Fit To Buss, hahahaa.**

**I just thought you might want a christmas present. =D**


	2. Awkward Silences

She pulled on her navy blue jogging bottoms and tucked them in her pink Ugg boots, a pink top to match. The sun was going down, and she knew it would turn cold without it.

With a deep breath, she trotted down the stairs, hoping nobody would catch her. Piplup promised it would wait in her room to calm either Ash or Brock if they were to enter the room and panic because of her sudden disappearance.

"Where are you going?" Brock's voice echoed through the main entrance hall, she spun on her heels and smiled sweetly at him as he stood as casually as Brock could next to Nurse Joy.

"For a walk, I could do with some fresh air. Piplup is asleep, I'll be back later." She hoped this lie was better than her previous ones.

He nodded slowly; "I'll see you later then." Then he turned back to Nurse Joy and chatted endlessly.

She couldn't leave the room fast enough, her feet pressed harder on the pavement as she hurried to escape her friends.

_What a fuss! Why should I hide what I'm doing? It's not shameful, right? _But part of her didn't want anybody to know just yet, until she knew the answer.

She climbed up the solar panel path and walked past the Munchlax shaped rock, the point she had been using to find the beach. Once she reached the balcony, the ocean was in front of her. She scanned the empty beach, but it didn't take long as he wasn't hard to find. His Magmortar was battling a Mantine, and clearly winning against the odds.

She hurried down the nearest staircase, mentally noting which way the beach was. She wrapped her arms around her waist, unsure of the reasons for doing so. Was she simply cold? Or was she holding herself back?

Her legs carried her forward anyway; there was no way she was getting out of this one now she'd started it.

He paid no attention to her as she crossed the beach to him, not until she was a mere few yards away and his battle had ended. He then returned Magmortar with no word of thanks and turned to look at her.

Dawn stopped walking, frozen under his glance. Even he could sense how intimidated she was, and so he turned his back to her and sat down.

"Hey Paul," She practically whispered as her voice wasn't able to create anything else.

He made a small humming sound, clearly not accustomed to such laid-back greetings.

She coughed awkwardly, thinking desperately for a subject; "You did extremely well against that Mantine!"

"You saw that."

It was more of a statement than a question, but to keep the topic going, she decided to take it as the latter. "Yes, well done! If you can defeat a strong looking water type, I'd hate to think what you could do to grass types!"

"We don't like to battle our strengths." He shrugged, keeping his tone quite dull.

She was stumped for a moment, and the silence drifted over one another. She sighed; "Well done, anyway."

"Thanks." If she'd have known better, she would have recognised the slight tone of sarcasm in his voice, but her lack of experience in the form of humour left her clueless.

Instead she smiled; "Not much of a talker, are you?" What else could she say? They had barely anything in common except for the battle she'd just witnessed, and he'd already destroyed that topic.

"I'm not like your friend; _he_ finds it easy to talk to girls."

She was astonished with this kind of honesty. She already knew he was blunt in the harshest of ways, but not when it was himself that he was criticising.

"We're just like boys, you know. Just talk." She giggled, trying to keep the tone light rather than put him down. After all, he hadn't been nasty to her yet.

His deep purple eyes flashed over to her; "Like what?"

"Anything," she shrugged, watching the ocean lap against the sands so she didn't not stumble over her words under the harsh look in his eyes; "ask us questions."

His usual harsh smirk flickered at his lips; "Okay, why did you ask _me_?"

The words lodged in her throat, how embarrassing! "Err…"

"I'm curious to find out." He pushed as she continued to 'um' and 'err.'

She glanced over to him, her mouth open like a Goldeen's. He stared into her eyes with fierce inquisitiveness, the words came pouring out as if under pressure; "because-you're-quite-cute…" She could only pray he didn't understand that because her mind began to scream at her idiocy.

He laughed; "not what I expected, but thanks. I guess…"

She blushed a deep red, and he laughed even harder. "Does that mean it's a yes?" She smiled faintly, her eyes glistening.

"I guess I'll go to see the look on your friend's face." He grinned in a disturbing, almost sadistic way.

Dawn shivered, but couldn't help but jump for joy. "Thanks Paul! I can't believe you're agreeing to this!"

"Neither can I."

She smiled weakly at him, not daring to think through her next intention; her mindless actions had worked before. She threw herself towards him, embracing him tightly. He stiffened completely, but did not attempt to prize her off of his waist and shoulders.

Eventually he coughed awkwardly; "We should be getting back, it's getting dark."

She nodded and pulled away from him, grinning at him as he walked on ahead.

Now she had a date, for the most prestigious party a coordinator could attend, and Ash's eyes would bulge when they entered.

Her shorter legs shuffled after him, two strides to his one. He did not slow for her, but she knew he was aware of her following him as he kept glancing over his shoulder.

"Any other questions?" She trotted quickly to end up at his side. He kept his eyes on the path ahead, but a smirk touched at the corner of his lips.

"Not really." He sighed, though, try as he might, he couldn't deny that he enjoyed her pestering a little.

They pressed on in silence; she followed him as she had no clue where to go. She was shocked when she turned the corner and the big red roof was there to greet her.

"Wow, shortcut?" She questioned, and he shrugged back to her. With an awkward cough, she watched him walk ahead.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He grunted, and departed down a different corridor. She watched after him thoughtfully; "Night," She muttered quietly, barely audible to even herself. She shuffled through the corridor she was familiar with and bumped into a groggy Ash.

"Where have you been!?" His voice was loud but evidently tired. She pushed her palm across his lips, hushing him for the benefit to those who had managed to get sleep.

"I've been for a walk, I didn't realise how long I've been gone. Didn't Brock tell you?" She frowned, removing her hand and allowing him to answer.

He shook his head; "he did, but it got so dark that I was going crazy with worry." Even in his tired state of mind, his arms were animated with exaggerated fury and worry.

"Well I'm fine, go to bed. You look exhausted." She turned him to walk, rubbing his back as she did so. He yawned and gave a little sigh of content when she loosened a knot in his muscles.

"I am exhausted, I feel like hibernating." He mumbled as she sat him on his bed. She pulled off his cap, shoes and jacket to lie them on the table and he automatically crumpled under the covers.

"Night Ash." She giggled, but he was already snoring.

She looked over to her own bed, the space Piplup had been guarding. The little water Pokémon had obviously failed at this as it slept quietly on her pillow.

Picking up the blue penguin Pokémon, she cuddled it closer and climbed into her bed, falling soundly to sleep to await the next day.


	3. Let it rain

The bang startled her awake. It was followed with another two quick, impatient ones. She jumped to sit up, finding she had been dangling from the top bunk. She landed with a thump, but neither Ash nor Brock heard. It was too early for them to be only dozing, and so they were completely unconscious. She looked at the clock; Five Thirty.

She shuffled over to the door where the sound was coming from, fury raging in her eyes from her disturbance. The door swung open with her sleepy, fuming grasp and yet the cause of noise didn't bat an eyelid at her scowl.

"What?" She snapped as she rubbed her eyes from the bright artificial light she wasn't yet used to. She heard a sarcastic snort that could only have been one person's signature and sprung her eyes open. "Paul?"

She struggled frantically in her head to find something to say, with it being too early, she failed miserably.

"I'm going to train." He said simply, his eyes flashing around the room and a smirk touching at his lips when he was a drooling Ash and his snoring Pikachu.

"Err… Okay?" Dawn frowned, obviously confused, but he ignored that and walked off. She peered her head around the corner to the corridor as he walked off with the same bold stride he usually had. The chuckle was ominous, especially in the dark. She gasped and ran to the mirror in the bathroom, squealing as quietly as she could when she noticed her hair. She desperately ran her fingers through her locks, to no avail. She sighed to let loose her frustration, and decided a hot shower would help recover her aching body from the fall and her hair from this disastrous mess.

The hot needles of water thrashed at her skin, stinging on contact as it bounced off from the force. Though it hurt minutely, it was oddly calming, and so she left it on the setting.

She allowed her thoughts to wander as she subconsciously washed her hair, she was just about awake, and so daydreaming was still inevitable to happen.

Why had he told her something she knew he did every day? Not at this stupid time, but still… Images flashed through her head, he wanted her there, to tell her something very important. She squeaked quietly to herself at the thought, whether through horror of thinking like this or agreeing that the idea wasn't that bad after all, she didn't know.

But what if it were the complete opposite? What if he had told her this to warn her to stay away from him? Had he changed his mind? Training was far more important to him than shopping for a suit. She could imagine him laughing at her when she accused him to be a back stabber. He would find her rants humorous, great roars of hilarity and highly amused glistening eyes, and tears would run down her hot embarrassed cheeks.

She had to admit to herself; that was more likely to be the Paul thing to do.

She sighed, slapping at the shower button and climbing out of the shower. She dried herself quickly and pulled her hair up into a ponytail. She put on her pink skirt and boots, and Ash's jacket to keep her warm. She was sure he wouldn't mind as he wouldn't wake until she was back.

She walked outside to immediately groan. There was absolutely no point in drying her hair, the heavens had opened and the raindrops were the size of minimized pokeballs.

For a moment she contemplated on whether to get an umbrella, but before she had decided, it was too late as her hair was already dripping. She hurried along to the training park, hoping that would be where Paul was. The tiny splashes of her footsteps turned to squelches as she reached the muddy grass, but she was past caring about her appearance as she spotted a purple blotch standing out from the monotonous dull background.

Once she was in hearing distance, she called out his name to which he scowled up at the disturbance. She felt a small shudder down her back, she wasn't sure what for. Was she intimidated? Cold? Or something else…?

She shook her head and carried on walking, why she was letting her fantasies drive her mad she couldn't understand.

"What are you doing here?" He turned back to Torterra, who seemed happy enough in the rain.

Dawn frowned; "You invited me." She pointed out, but in her head she began screaming, her face defying the urge to grimace as she braced herself from rejection. It was lucky the rain was so heavy, for they disguised any betraying tears that slipped down her face. Rejection was such a slap in the face, even if she did know it was coming.

"You're cold." He stated, taking one look at her. He wasn't surprised, she wore that short sleeved hoody and a short skirt that only just showed under the long male jacket.

She looked down at herself too, if she were warm enough, she would have blushed heat to her cheeks. However, she was shivering violently.

"Torterra." He looked at his large grass type, who immediately started for Dawn. Although it was bulky, it was to her in seconds. It lowered slightly whilst pointing its spikes towards her, and Paul walked up to it to climb on.

He turned and offered her a hand, she stared at it reluctantly. He growled lowly at her; "You're going to catch a death of cold."

When she didn't respond, he leaned towards her and lifted her from under her arms. She squealed with shock, but he was very gentle with her. He sat her under the tree on Torterra's right side and huddled under too.

"Where are we going?" Dawn asked, having to stare up at him even though they were sat down.

He shrugged; "anywhere to get you out of the cold. You're a complete idiot thinking that would keep you warm." He pointed to the hoody gingerly, scowling at her more fiercely that before. She shuddered again, looking away from him quickly and staring at the direction they were heading.

She pulled her hair to one side and wrung it out over the side of the huge grass type; it glanced at her quickly and then continued to walk along the street.

"So much for _Suny_shore." She murmured mainly to herself, though she swore she heard Paul chuckle. How could she have imagined it? He wasn't exactly reliant on a sense of humour.

She peeked around at him; his hair was less buoyant when wet. It was also several shades darker, almost a midnight purple, like a pot of blue ink that tinged into a beautiful aubergine colour. His eyes were near to black too, the iris was subtly lighter than his pupil.

"What?" He snapped again, looking down at her. She didn't look away, what was the point? She'd been caught staring…

Instead she giggled; "I was just thinking about how you look like Reggie with your hair that dark.

"That's called genetics, it tends to happen." He retorted, closing his eyes and smirking.

She huffed and folded her arms; "Wow, you're sarcastic. So you do have emotion in there."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He growled, but it was merely a whisper.

"They say sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, but at least you have some." She retorted, if he wanted to play this game, she was going to give as good as she got.

He rolled his eyes; "It's the highest form of intelligence, too."

She scowled at him, stumped again. He simply smirked in victory then looked over to where Torterra was taking them; "Coffee?"


	4. Coffee and Questions

They sat inside a small little coffee shop, he pulled the chair out for her, which she mumbled a thanks and sat.

"I didn't know things were even open at this time…" Dawn said, yawning as if to prove her point.

"Of course," Paul scoffed; "Where there are trainers, there are shops for them to buy from."

She rolled her eyes, catching a glimpse of someone heading towards them.

"Good morning, Coffee?" A chirpy waitress sang to them, notebook in one hand and a coffee pot in the other.

Paul nodded and looked to Dawn, who didn't pay attention to him and smiled back up to the waitress who was paying little consideration to how wet she was. "Can I have tea, please?"

Paul suppressed a snort, but it caught Dawn's attention, and she glared at him when the waitress hurried to get a tea pot. "What?"

"You just don't look like a tea person…" He muttered, looking over to the waitress as he sipped at his drink.

Dawn stiffened, her shoulders hunching slightly; "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing…" He sighed, irritated by her interrogation. She let it slide, seeing as he was acting kind to her. Still, he could have _spoke_ to her kindly too…

"So, why are you in Sunyshore again?" Dawn clasped her hands and rested her head on them to show deep interest. He noticed this and his lips upturned; "Volkner asked me to battle him again."

Dawn's eyebrows rose; "Wow, he must have enjoyed your last battle."

He shrugged; "I guess, he asked it to be his Christmas present." He chuckled; "But I don't owe him anything…"

"Then why are you doing it?" She tilted her head, her dripping hair looking less like a Ponyta tail and more of a Raticate's.

His eyes flashed up at her; "a trainer never turns down a battle. _You_ should know that."

She recoiled of her hands in surprise to how passionately he spoke of battling. She'd never saw him so animated before. She didn't have chance to reply as the waitress brought over her drink.

"Would you like anything else?" She asked as she poured Dawn's tea. Paul looked to Dawn - who was watching the tea pour - and back to the waitress; "Two breakfasts please."

The waitress nodded and walked off, leaving them in a silence again.

"How do you know I like breakfast? Maybe I'm not a breakfast person…" She teased, folding her arms across herself and then recoiling when she felt how wet the jacket was.

He sighed; "The way your stomach is rumbling, I'd assume you are hungry."

She scowled down at her stomach as if it were a traitor. She'd been stumped again. The food smelt divine though and her stomach growled again, so she let it pass.

The awkward silence drifted over them, she squirmed under it and yet he seemed perfectly at ease with the quiet. She thought desperately for any topic he would enjoy conversing with; "so, any team changes?"

"Why?" He flicked his narrowed eyes up at her, she batted her eyelashes nervously. "Well, I was just trying to keep the tone light…"

"Silence is better than awkward conversation."

"Fine." She huffed; "I'll just be quiet."

* * *

She 'ummed' and 'arred' as the food, so warm against her frozen chest, tasted so good in her mouth.

"So much for being quiet." Paul muttered, keeping his eyes on his own food to avoid the glare from Dawn; "Excuse me for being enthusiastic!"

"Excuse me for wanting to eat my food without a running commentary." He barked back, his fist balling around his fork. Dawn noticed this and stared; "Paul," she sighed, placing her hand on his to take the fork out. He stared at her hand, slightly infuriated on her needless contact. "I know you can be nice, so why don't you just try?"

He dropped the fork and pulled his hand away, leaving her hand dangling over the table, she pulled it back quickly too. They stared at each other, Paul's scowl was quite frightening, but Dawn kept her calm, serene smile on her face until he sighed and gave up.

"You're impossible." He growled, glaring down at his food again. The pins and needles were surely from squeezing the fork too hard. He assured himself of it, but it was a pitiful attempt that even he couldn't deny that her smooth, cold skin had caught him off guard. He only scowled harder the more he thought of it, tempted to feel the shock again was embarrassing.

She hadn't said anything in a while, and for a brief moment he panicked, had he upset her? Then he blinked up at her, why should he care?

Her eyes were on her mug of tea, stirring it absent-mindedly, but as if she was aware he was look at her, she blurted; "Paul?"

He sighed, although he was slightly relieved she was still talking, he made it seem like he was fractious.

"Are you doing this because you don't know what to say?" She looked up at him, and for once he had no come-back. Her eyes were full of wonder, they glistened with curiosity. It was like he could see everything she was thinking, speaking with her eyes alone. He blinked furiously and forced himself to look down again.

He could see from between his eyelashes that she nodded to herself slowly, she looked to the waitress and back to Paul.

"Here." She slid something towards him; "Thanks for earlier." She stood up and turned to walk out, leaving him with more than enough for the entire bill. He watched the window until she disappeared and sighed crossly to himself as he slammed his back into the chair.

It wasn't unusual for him to be frustrated, he'd felt it many a time about other trainers and his own Pokémon, but it was an odd sensation to feel disappointment for himself. He rubbed at his forehead as this temples throbbed, not listening to the waitress as she hoped their meal was okay until she spoke of Dawn; "where did she go? She seems nice; I've never seen you bring her here before. Landed a pretty one there, didn't you?"

He had usually been annoyed by her prying, but he found that he hummed in agreement. She grinned in approval, and took the money from him; "go after her then, have a nice day sir."

And for once, he took her advice. With no clue as to why, he followed her, craving for that inexplainable heat of her soft, cold hand.

* * *

_Yayyyy! I love Ikarishipping! I will make a christmassy one for tomorrow, I promise! =D_


	5. Just an Old Friend

"Dawn?" A knock on her door startled her as somebody poked their head through the door. She wanted nothing more than to say 'go away,' but she knew that would strike up questions.

Instead she settled for: "Hey," in a pathetic attempt to be cheerful. Even Ash saw straight through it; "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, no need to worry," she smiled, though her lips shook as they longed to pout. She forced them to stretch in their happy shape, but it was very uncomfortable. She was beginning to see why Paul didn't smile much; it was so much easier to scowl.

"You're a dreadful liar, Dawn." He chuckled, sitting on the end of her bed. She folded her legs and he smiled gratefully. "Pika…" The little mouse Pokémon agreed.

She sighed; "So I've been told…" A coughing laugh came through her throat, and yet it gurgled and sounded peculiar.

"Is this about the Ball? I know you'll have someone to go with, I mean, look at you!" She blushed at his praise, though she knew he was only doing it to cheer her up, he was too infatuated with Zoey: the only coordinator that had defeated him in a contest. Of course he was immediately obsessed with her skill, much as Dawn was, but Dawn didn't have hormones in the way when she saw the red-head.

She gasped in horror, was she basically describing a parallel to her and Paul? It was similar enough… She was amazed at his skill, as much as his training methods repulsed her. Were hormones changing admiration to adoration?

She shook her head, and Ash took it the wrong way; "oh sorry, I didn't mean to offend you…"

She stared blankly at him for a moment, taking a little while to remember what he had said before she'd gone off on a tangent.

"Oh no, don't worry. I already have a date." She forced a smile, although she wanted to grimace. Again, her facial muscles resisted.

Ash's face lit up with happiness for her; "That's great Dawn! Who's the lucky guy?"

Well she walked into that one, her face crumpled as she knew his optimism would soon be crushed by her simple answer.

No, she shouldn't think like that, Ash would be supportive, surely. Just because they didn't like each other, didn't mean Ash would automatically dislike her too because of her association with a rival, would he?

"Dawn." A hand waved in front of her, and she snapped out of thought again. Ash laughed at her; "Wow, you're already daydreaming about him? You must really like him."

"Yeah I do…" She mumbled, not wanting to say too much.

There was a little pause, Ash fidgeted on the spot as he battled for her eyeline; "Who is it then? Tell me!" He whined like a three-year-old, bouncing around like one too.

"Oh, you don't know him…" She averted his gaze like it was lethal to her, "just an old friend…"

She could tell he was getting frustrated with her short, non-specific details; "Name?"

Saved by the bell, well… A knock at the door, she sprang up and hurried to the door. She swung it open quickly and her heart stopped.

_Perfect timing Paul… _She spat sarcastically in her mind. She glared at him fiercely; "What?"

"Merry Christmas," he pulled a box from behind his back and held it out for her, she stared at it guiltily, now she couldn't be mean to him.

Ash's voice came from behind her; "Who is I-" He stopped short, glancing around the picture before him. It didn't take him too long to work out the details, and he signified this by shooting a glare at not Paul, but Dawn; "an old friend, eh?"

"Ash, I-" She didn't know how to finish that; he just shook his head at her. Paul seemed to take great pleasure in the little quarrel.

Ash pushed past Paul, though he was shorter than Paul, he shoved him aside with shocking ease. "Chu…" Pikachu shot a sad glance to Dawn, then back to its trainer and followed quickly.

Dawn sighed and went into her room again, slumping on her bed. Paul followed after a moment's hesitation, throwing the box into her side.

"Well that was fun, now open your present." He chuckled darkly, watching her scowl back it him. "It's not Christmas today." She insisted, sliding the box away from her.

He pushed it back; "But you'll need it for tomorrow, you'll see why if you open it." He added the last but to stop her confused face from contorting into more frustrated expressions.

With reluctance, she pulled the gorgeous ribbon off the box and lifted the lid off, gasping at the present Paul had brought her. She lifted it out; her eyes glistened with awe that he couldn't stop staring at the sapphire glints.

"It's beautiful Paul! You chose so well!" She had to admit, his dress style wasn't half bad, and now he'd proven he could pick women's clothes too. It sounded too good to be true, but it was, and the dress was astonishing.

So simple and elegant, and just imagining it made her tingle with excitement for the Ball the following day.

The body was tight and fitting, squeezing at her waist and lifting – which she was thankful for as it was strapless - at her chest. The train, though she had only stood up with it in front of her, she could see was only small, subtle yet beautiful. It stuck out the tiniest amount from her hips and rippled whichever way she moved it. It was the colour most of all, it was so strikingly gorgeous that she couldn't take her eyes of it. A most heavenly navy colour, in a fabric that made it shimmer aesthetically and show off every good part of her body whilst hiding the places that needed to be hidden.

"Oh, Paul…" She gasped again, slightly teary eyed. He rolled his eyes at her; "Open the window."

She frowned; "Why?" He did not answer, so she did as she was told. His Honchkrow fluttered in and squeezed through the window, opening a wing to its master. Paul took something from it and handed them over to Dawn, she held her hands open eagerly.

"Honchkrow found them…" He admitted sheepishly, though his Pokémon looked rather proud of itself. She looked down at her hand to find a pair of rustic looking golden earrings.

"They're perfect!" She flung her arms around him for the second time, not realising she had done so until he laughed at her; "Wow, give a girl a dress and she's putty in your hands…"

"You know more about girls than you let on…" She giggled back at him, taking his hands and wrapping them around herself so she felt a complete hug. The tingle in her palms raced through her body in search for more contact, which she found when his arms tightened around her too.

Was this just her? She asked herself, was she the only one feeling this? Surely Paul would have pulled away from her if he didn't.

She didn't want to question it; this moment was enough for her for now. She rested her head on his shoulder, which she could just about reach, and looked away from him, to the dress. Yes, not even Ash could have spoilt this moment. Until she realised:

She hadn't got any shoes.

* * *

_What do you do without shoes!? Any girl like me with agree; DRAMA! DRAMA! NEEEEEEDDDD SHOES! *Dies* x_x  
Ahem... I like shoes. *Prays for some for tomorrow.*_

_So tomorrow is christmas guys! Well, half hour for me, woop!_

_I thought I should get the day before christmas eve out of the way, before christmas eve was over. I hope you don't mind waiting an extra day for the Ball now, because I've written two chapters today for you._

_Merry Christmas Ikarishippers!_


	6. So close

She sighed irately; once again her hair was refusing to obey. She messed around with different styles, finding none that sat absolutely right.

"Piplup!" She barked as she threw her trusted starter's Pokeball. The tiny Pokémon frowned from its abrupt calling, squeaking its name in disapproval.

She smiled weakly at the water type; "Could you?" She pointed to her Starly nest of hair. Piplup perked up immediately and shot out a weak bubble beam, but it was strong enough to flatten her hair without drenching it entirely.

"Well that's different…" A voice muttered from her doorway, she jumped and looked over to find Paul smirking at her with an incredulous look in his eyes. She paid little to no attention on his face, for his outfit was much more interesting. The suit was an off-black colour with slightly lighter thin stripes running vertically to make him seem much taller than he already was. The shoulders were broad and the arms were straight so they showed nothing of the strength in his arms but gave off the sense that the muscles were under there. The lapels were peaked in a lighter material with no stripes, much like the pocket's seam which held a traditional handkerchief in the colour of Dawn's dress.

"Wow, Paul. You look smart!" She blushed slightly, and turned to Piplup quickly so he would see the heat in her cheeks. "Thanks Piplup," she sang in an attempt to hide the waver in her voice, returning the Pokémon again.

He didn't reply, instead he sat on her bed and allowed her to continue with her hair. She pulled it up into a bun and added the outer layer of hair in loose curls so they acted as an elegant net. With the wispy parts of her hair at the front of her ears, she curled them into tight ringlets, like she usually did for contests. She straightened her fringe until it hung perfectly over her forehead.

"How's that?" She turned to Paul, who humoured her with a glance and shrugged as a yes. She scowled at him and then turned to do her makeup. She kept it simple as she didn't want to overdo it; the most important lesson she learnt through the whole of her coordination career.

She stood up and frowned at Paul; "Alright turn around."

"Why?" He frowned back at her, but quickly turned when she took her jacket off. "Oh…"

A giggle escaped her lips as she pulled up her dress and placed it around her gently, but began to struggle to do it up. She twisted her arms until her shoulder blades ached, eventually having to surrender; "Um… Paul? Could you help me, please?"

He turned to find her hanging desperately onto the back of her dress; she walked closer and turned away when she was close enough. He frowned and shakily started buttoning up the dress, brushing at her spine and feeling her shiver as he did so. The frown furrowed deeper and he made a conscious effort not to touch her with his cold fingers. The skin of her bare back was so beautiful in a porcelain colour, contrasting magnificently against the navy of the dress, just like he knew it would. His throat became dry as he thought about her, failing to wet his mouth or brush off any of the thoughts.

He sighed with relief when the last button was done, and his hands immediately dropped to his sides.

She turned to see anger in his eyes as he watched her, fear struck over her as she looked over herself quickly; "What's wrong?"

She couldn't understand, of course not. He was angry at himself, not the beauty before him, he hated this lack of control he had around her, and clung to any ounce of sanity he could find. In this case, being angry at himself was his best bet, but he didn't want to upset her either; "Nothing. You look fine."

"Fine?" A hint of disapproval dripped through her voice as she checked her reflection in the mirror.

He cleared his throat in an attempt to wet it again, and she looked back at him; "You haven't got the earrings in." He muttered, looking at her dressing table where they lay.

Her face lit up; "Oh yeah!" She slid them through her ears with ease and pulled on her gold heels. The web of gold wrapped her feet in place and lifted her eyeline to about Paul's nose. It was a comfortable level and made them look very elegant together, something she made sure of when she brought them.

"Better?" She had her back to him, but twisted at the waist to look at him in one of her signature poses. He shrugged and hummed a yes, to which she was pleased with as it was something at least.

"When does it start?" Paul inquired, and she pulled the invitation from her bag quickly; "Half an hour." She bit her lip and looked up at him; he looked impressed that she was ready with extra time. She pulled her new gold clutch from the shopping bag and took off the tags, placing her vital belongings and the invitation. She also pulled out a sequined golden shawl to keep her warm for the journey.

He took it from her and held it out, she smiled and allowed him to wrap it around her, then twirled slowly back around.

Amazed by the amount of height she'd gained, she giggled as she stretched her neck to his level. He did likewise to gain the difference again. He looked down at her with a playful sneer, another nervous titter escaped her lips and she dropped onto the heels again.

Then they were quiet, he looked over her shoulder to see her by his side, it raised Goosebumps on his arms subtly. She followed his eyeline and saw them together too, resulting in a similar affect. "Wow, we look good!"

She saw him nod in the mirror, and she turned back around to face reality rather than reflection. "Stay still."

"Why?" He asked her again, but didn't continue to question even as confusion troubled his mind. Heat bubbled through his veins, his breathing hitched and his heart throbbed up to his throat as she rocked onto her tiptoes, coming dangerously close to him.

"What are you doing?" An accusing voice trilled through her room. She dropped onto her heels quickly, much to Paul's disappointment.

She spun quickly to face Ash, who was glaring between the two; "I was trying to be taller than Paul. I don't think it's possible though…"

Paul snorted, she assumed because it was a bad lie. Ash brought it though; "Oh, well you're nearly taller than me now!" His face lit up, he seemed to have given up annoying Dawn about her date, and was just simply ignoring him.

"Looking good Ash." Dawn grinned as she nodded. His suit wasn't as flashy as Paul's; it was a classic plain black old fashioned suit with notched lapels. The buttonhole on his left side held a white boutonnière with tinted celadon green tips, which she assumed would be the colour Zoey was wearing.

Paul watched Ash's reaction with an emotion he hadn't felt for Ash before, jealousy. "Not looking too bad yourself."

"Not too bad!? Do I look that plain? Paul said that too…" She whined, looking between the two trainers whose passion burned with hatred for each other. They looked like they'd rip at each other's throats if they got to close.

Ash broke free from the glare and smiled at Dawn; "You look stunning, Dawn. As always." Although she was flattered, she couldn't help notice his eyes flash to Paul to see his reaction. Her eyes did the same, and he was looking to the floor with his signature smirk. It made her feel a little disappointed.

"I'm heading off to meet Zoey now, I'll see you there. Don't be late!" He shot it at Paul, whose eyes narrowed in response.

Dawn nodded quickly and hurried him out of the door; "Yep, see you there. Bye!"

She watched him turn the corner and looked sheepishly at Paul; "Sorry about that." She sighed, but he was looking out of the window. "What's going on?" She walked over to his side.

"It's snowing, Articuno is here."

* * *

_Ahaaa, I got shoes. My most expensive pair I own now! I have a pair of brown, official Uggs. They're so comfy!  
Hope you all got what you wanted for Christmas. :)_

_Ahaa, I know you're probably frustrated at me, but meh, I like to wind you all up. ^^_


	7. Star in the snow

With the door opened for her, she stepped out of the elegant black car and stepped aside for Paul. The response took them by surprise, for they had not expected paparazzi to be flashing cameras at them and thrusting microphones into their faces. Paul grabbed hold of Dawn's arm and tugged, she didn't squirm even though he was squeezing hard enough to form a hand shaped bruise.

Once they were inside, his Pinsir grip loosened and coiled around her arm so they were linked.

"Wasn't expecting that sort of reception." Dawn sighed, looking a little flustered and heated, mainly because of the protective way Paul had kept her close.

He ignored the red tinge in her cheeks, mistaking it for being embarrassed. "Well Lance is coming, what do you expect."

"Of course," She giggled; "alongside some of the biggest coordinators in all four regions." She nodded in a-matter-of-fact way, raising her chin snootily at him. He rolled his eyes and led them to the reception desk.

A stunning woman sat at reception, her long brunette hair wrapped tightly into bun, revealing her beautiful heart shaped face adorned with intelligent square shaped glasses and long elegant neck. She wore a white shirt with ruffles around the top, and a brown pencil skirt that flattered her curves. It was only when Dawn noticed the name tag did she realise that this woman was the receptionist.

"You must be Dawn. I'd know you anywhere." The woman's voice was equally intelligent, an alto range in a foreign, formal accent.

Dawn held out the invitation for her, and she stamped it with a golden cup shape, the logo of the grandest contest hall in Sinnoh.

"May I take your coats?" She stood up and walked over to a booth which they met her on the other side. Paul shrugged off his jacket and handed it to her, also handing Dawn's coat which she had refused to wear while the paparazzi were taking photos. Dawn handed her the clutch purse and received a small gold bracelet which had been scanned to tell the receptionist which Pidgey hole kept their belongings.

"Have a lovely evening, and merry Christmas!" She chimed to them, Dawn replied happily and Paul nodded politely.

Paul clasped the bracelet around her; "Don't lose this." He muttered and she stared up at him; "I won't, promise." He seemed to know what she was like, so clumsy and forgetful. He hadn't even known her that long, or at least hadn't tried to know her that long.

Another couple walked in, to which they paid no attention and headed for the grand hall.

A tenor deep voice called over to them in surprise; "Paul? Dawn!"

Dawn spun around at her name, but Paul just groaned.

"Paris!?" Dawn squealed in surprise, she hurried over quickly and was immediately envious of her dress. The dress was a dull matte silver which shimmered under the light. It was a simple straight shaped skirt which gently rested on the floor, the body was tight on her waist at the front but a low back. The halter started at the top of her chest and was a brilliant silver lace, weaving in an intricate design on Paris could have come up with. She truly was a top Poke-stylist. Of course, as most knew, most Poke-stylists began as coordinators, and Paris was at the top of that career too.

"Hey Dawn, long time no see!" The voice did not belong to the gorgeous pink haired beauty. It was far too deep and Dawn had not taken the time to look at Paris' guest as the dress was too eye-catching. She looked over to this guest, and stumbled back a little in shock; "Reggie! You know each other?"

She watched their reaction as they laughed at her surprise; they'd obviously got it a lot.

"Reggie and Paris were childhood friends." Paul informed her in his monotonous, bored voice.

Paris smiled pleasantly; "my my, Paul. You've grown very handsome indeed, and to have such a beautiful lady on your arm."

Dawn flushed a light pink, looking up at Paul as he bowed his head in thanks. It was obvious that Paris knew what Paul was like, so silent and yet polite when it came to older people.

"We'll leave you to sign in, and hopefully see you later?" Dawn smiled politely, seeing how uncomfortable Paul was beginning to look.

Paris nodded; "Of course, see you."

"Have fun." Reggie winked at Paul, to which his brother ignored completely, turning on his heels and clutching onto Dawn's arm to pull her away from the awkward conversation.

"I can't believe I agreed to this," he ranted; "especially with my brother here. It's going to be a nightmare."

Dawn shook him gently with the arm they had linked together; "calm down, we don't have to be with them _all_ night." Though she agreed with him entirely, for different reasons. Having Reggie there would be awkward; he would watch their every move and suspect their relationship – which was only young and very fragile - was something more than it actually was.

Two men stood either side of a great door that Dawn had entered once before on the day that she had won the first grand festival she entered. They watched the couple walk closer and opened the doors just as they arrived. Dawn nodded her head to them as they walked through and then scanned the completely transformed contest hall.

The room was nothing like she remembered. The battle ground had been covered with a beautiful wooden dance floor, and had many beautiful people conversing with old friends and rivals. The screen had a lovely image of a light blue background with light pink blossom petals slowly drifting down. It was decorated in the same blue for the ribbons and garlands of the pink blossom. This seemed to be the pattern around the room.

The stands for the crowds of people had the most significant change, as they could no longer be seen. The outer edge of the huge room was rimmed with a raised platform which covered the audience seats. On top of this they had wooden tables covered with the light blue table cloths and a bouquet of the pink blossom in the middle. Some were already occupied, but it seemed that not everybody had arrived yet.

As the newest champion of this hall, many people noticed her right away. The redness in her pale cheeks stayed obvious and she shied away into Paul, who seemed to have no problem with attention as he simply ignored it.

"Miss?"

She turned towards the tap on her shoulder, smiling to greet a grinning man.

"It is you Dawn! I'm so glad you came!" Mr Contesta beamed at her, she giggled back; "Of course, sir. I wouldn't miss one of your parties."

"Especially when you're the star!" He replied, his smile couldn't go much further and his lips had turned white from the stretch.

Paul looked down to her, this star as she had been called. It was very apt for both her personality and appearance. The dress made her skin stand out; she shone like the burning fire ball she had been described as.

"You'll be receiving the cup tonight."


	8. Fire vs Ice

"Will you stop that?" He snapped, rubbing his right temple as he watched her bounce up and down in her seat.

She stopped abruptly and stared at him; "Sorry, I'm just nervous." She muttered.

"Well don't be," he grumbled, dropping his hand onto the table, she watched it and then back to her face. "You're not being called up until after we've eaten."

Dawn was not the only reason for Paul's irritation, no amount of preparation could have set him up ready for an evening with Ash Ketchum.

"I hope the food will come soon then!" He chuckled, and then turned to Zoey who looked astonishing in her white dress with a green tinge getting darker as it reached the floor. She wore short green wrist length gloves to add to her classy outfit, it complimented her tidied red pixie cut hair beautifully. She smiled at him to humour his enthusiasm, then rolled her eyes at Dawn when he wasn't looking.

As soon as Ash went to speak again, Paul stood up quickly. They were all startled, and flinched away from his sudden movement after a long while of stillness, but Dawn knew exactly what was wrong. She stood up slower and the pair watched her with curious eyes; "We're going to go for a walk. I'd like to find May anyway!"

Ash nodded; "She'd only just come in when we saw her, but you should find her."

"She's wearing purple." Zoey added.

Dawn knew the reason behind this, as she and May were conversing a few weeks ago. May had insisted on wearing red for her first appearance, much to Drew's distaste. So they finally agreed on going with the colour he preferred the next year they went; which so happened to be today.

"Dawn?"

She raised her eyes up to the gruff voice's owner, he was peeking down at her too as he offered his arm. When he didn't say anything, she urged him to speak; "Yes Paul?"

"I want to go outside." It seemed like he was asking of her approval, but he had been so used to ordering around that he wasn't sure how to go about it politely. She nodded and led him to the opened doors to the beautiful garden.

The garden was decorated in white, the roses stood out brilliantly from the perfectly trimmed hedges, a tree stood looking over a swing it held up. Snow was resting over everything to add to the affect. She wandered into it ahead of Paul, who was more reluctant to let nature's frozen tears soak him. Instead he watched her as she looked up at the black sky, tiny white webs resting on her porcelain skin.

He sighed and followed her out, itching to wipe the snow that looked tainted on her pure skin. He reached up, his finger shaking gently as he hesitated. Then gently pressed his finger onto her skin, wiping away the now chilly water. She looked at what he was doing, showing no expression on her face but her eyes seemed content on their contact. How had they come to this level of closeness in such a short period of time?

She couldn't find an answer, and she didn't bother trying for long as she began to wonder about the depths of his grey eyes. Purple flecks danced in the solid silver irises, not daring to reach the pupil which was the bottomless pit his soul had once fallen into.

"Do you not know what to say, again?" She whispered, remembering how he had confessed he struggled to talk to her.

His eyes did not leave hers as they let her explore, watching the curiosity in her eyes burning away at his cold skin. She bore deeper, and he couldn't think of anything to say. He knew what he wanted to do, and yet, the anger did not come. It was like the icy wind Articuno had given them had thawed the burning hate of the affection he felt for her. The chill urging him to share her body heat, of course it would be sensible to hold her close. He kept telling himself that as he whispered; "no," to her, and his neck craned towards her.

Her body froze facing away from him as she reacted, her face stayed close to his as he held it there tenderly. Their kiss was a mere lock of the lips, but they refused to let go until her neck began to complain.

The shock had not hit her yet, she realised. All she knew was that she wanted more of the natural sweet taste his lips kept. She shuffled her feet to face him, and the snow no longer touched them. As soon as she was aware they were embracing again, her awareness of the white blanket around them disappeared.

One hand moved down to her shoulders and round to her shoulder blade, the other stayed clutched to her neck. With their bodies so close, she couldn't seem to register in her mind that her body was cold, but she hunched closer to him, her hands lingered by their chests and brushed across them both. Eventually he gave a reluctant sigh and she lowered her head so they rolled until their foreheads stayed pressing gently together.

With their eyes so close together, she could help but to stare for longer, he watched her blue eyes glisten brightly, still reflecting the light magnificently, despite his hair being in the way.

"I…" He sighed again, what he wanted to say had ignited the anger, a match could still be lit in the blizzard, and he was pushing his control. He didn't like that, but he did like her. She waited patiently for him to finish his sentence, and eventually she'd dug too far towards his soul he couldn't help but tell her everything; "I really like you." He whispered.

A small hum vibrated through her lips and tingled through his when they met once more. This kiss was more brief that their first, but it was enough time for her to realise this strange tension in her stomach was not new. She felt it many a time and thought it was natural. Now she realised he somehow made her feel it whenever he was near. It wasn't natural at all, it should have been unpleasant and yet she loved the sensation. Her fingers tingled to be in his hair, and so she settled with the scruff of his neck. His hand moved to the small of her back to pull her closer.

They stopped unwillingly again, and their eyes locked for the shortest moment before she rested her on his shoulder, her lips centimetres away from his ear.

"Paul," it was barely audible, and it tingled his neck to feel the breath brush past him. His hair stood on end as she spoke again; "I think I'm falling for you, too."

She felt his chest swell up at her words and his arms clamped around her, to what she assumed was with pride. However, the thoughts that ran through Paul's mind were far from…


	9. Frightened

She was stumbling through the crowd when the person she had been looking for found her instead; "Dawn!" Her voice was a high soprano, enchanting and charmingly sweet in tone.

Said girl did not respond. She felt a tug on her hand as she turned to the force of the pull. Her eyes did not register as the girl who had called her embraced her in a tight hug. "Hey Dawn! It's so good to see you!"

Her arms went through the notions and her lips curled upwards.

"Dawn? Dawn, you look totally spaced!" She could see the girl frowning in confusion at her, but couldn't really put a name to her as her mind was elsewhere.

Another hand clicked sharply in front of her face and her reflexes made her blink, as her eyes became less blurry, her mind did too. She shot a look to the person who had clicked at her.

"Wow, Dawn. You were completely out there, are you okay?"

"May!" Dawn exclaimed, throwing her arms around her again with more enthusiasm than the first. May patted her back awkwardly, but giggled nonetheless.

Once they pulled away, Dawn took a look over May's dress. A beautiful purple that resembled Paul's hair but with an added silver lace-mesh that covered the skirt. The top was the same purple silk, with a silver sash holding the one shoulder as the purple silk covered the other. Her hair was long and down in beautiful curls, a style Dawn had never seen May fashion before. Inside the curls were tiny silver and crystal clips, and tiny lilac flowers, scattered around her head line.

May looked adoringly to her side; "This is Drew."

The clicker. Dawn had refrain herself from automatically scowling and reminded herself to be polite; "It's so great to meet you, finally!" She held out her hand, he took it courteously and kissed the air by her cheek. "Nice to meet you too, and congratulations on winning the Sinnoh Grand Festival."

"Thank you, it's an honour to hear that from you!" She grinned, finally feeling herself again and not the giddy aimless girl she was five minutes ago.

"So… Where is he?" May pressed urgently, Dawn hadn't told her of her date plans.

She looked around uselessly, like she could find him in this crowd of people; "He went to fetch some drinks, I can't see him."

"Ah, we can meet him later. Is Ash here?" Drew asked, but May added in synchronisation with his sentence; "and Zoey too?"

Dawn glanced between them, slightly freaked out by them talking so together. Did they start like she and Paul had? _Was _this a beginning for her? Or was it simply a mistake? He _had_ taken off quite abruptly; maybe he was already regretting it. She couldn't let her hopes get up just in case this was to be true.

Then she blinked again as they watched her patiently, and she realised her mouth had twisted from a smile to a confused contortion.

"Are you okay, Dawn?" Drew asked, frowning in slight confusion too. May stared at her worriedly, clearly she wanted an answer too.

"Yep! I'm fine, I'll show you where Ash and Zoey are!" She turned quickly, unaware of the glance May and Drew gave each other.

She bit her lip as she walked, allowing her to think while her back was to the couple. Paul had said he liked her, not the other way around. She hadn't said anything, unless he'd taken her invitation here as something. Maybe he felt obliged to do something to thank her for bringing him. She shook her head, Paul wasn't like that. He did what he wanted and refused if he didn't want it. He had liked her long before today if he'd said yes to her invite.

It made her lips upturn to be so sure of this, as she could not see another side to Paul.

"May!" Ash crooned excitedly, they hadn't seen each other in quite a while. They hugged tightly, and Ash shook hands with Drew as they chattered endlessly. May turned her attentions to Zoey, attempting to involve Dawn in the conversation, but once they realised she was completely in her own world, they continued to talk between themselves.

"Have you met…?" May droned out of the sentence, but even Dawn was not oblivious to the jerk of the brunette's head towards herself.

Zoey didn't reply with words, and Dawn couldn't make out what she'd signed.

"Is he…?" May drifted out again, leaving hand signs to talk for her. Zoey seemed to understand them.

There could have been several possible questions from what May had asked; Is he good looking? Is he nice? Is he rich? Strong? Funny?

Only the answer was slightly confusing; "He's a little… Different." It was a mere whisper, but she could still see them checking if she hadn't heard. They settled on her oblivious, vacant expression, but Dawn had understood everything.

She didn't know what to make of that, was different good? She didn't know how she felt with Zoey's judgement, but she did know it was justified. She'd experienced Paul's cold demeanour personally whilst defending Ash back in her home town.

Not even Dawn knew of his quieter, gentle side until very recently, only she couldn't briefly understand the complexity of Paul.

They'd changed the subject by the time Dawn had decided she wouldn't find a conclusion, and she stood up abruptly. All four at the table looked at her, and she blushed; "I'll be back in a moment."

Ash nodded and turned back to Drew to describe one of his latest battles, and Zoey was talking about May's recent Pokémon changes. Dawn already knew Wartortle had evolved, and that Venusaur was staying at Oak's lab whilst she trained her new Bellossom who appeared very friendly with Drew's Roserade.

After weaving through the growing crowds, she made her way towards the exit, assuming that was the way Paul had gone for drinks. The room was empty, even the receptionist had gone. Dawn assumed she was on her break now everyone expected had arrived. She turned the corner to find the bar area, but was stopped by Paul quickly.

"There you are, I've been looking for you." She smiled at him, but he did not return the pleasantry. Instead he walked over to her in a strong, bold stride with such strength she backed herself up the wall. He stood over her, and threw his hands to the wall on either side of her. She flinched at the muted thud they made.

He didn't say anything, but leant towards her quickly. She didn't have much time to react, and he was kissing her harshly before she could register her heart was racing with adrenaline and her mind became fuzzy with sensory overload. It took a moment before she realised how hard her pressed her head to the wall, and how he gripped onto her wrists with Pinsir grip.

"Paul..?" He stopped her protest quickly by pressing his lips to hers again, she didn't have much choice in the matter, but continued to try as she spoke the words into his mouth.

"Paul you're hurting me." She struggled against his weight, but to no avail. She whimpered at the pull in her muscles as his lips crashed against hers again. "Please…" She whispered her plea, and though it was her quietest, it was the one to get his attention. He held her gaze for a few seconds before she looked down at her dress.

"What's wrong with you?" He muttered, as she shook her head gently. He shook her to force her head to look up again. Her wide eyes stared at him as her whimpers were barely coherent; "Paul, you're frightening me!"

He stopped suddenly, staring at her like she'd punched him, stabbed him. Her muffled cries stifled as she watched him think through his actions. A small cry left her mouth as she was surprised to feel herself suddenly bump into his chest. With her wrists, he had dragged her to hold her properly.

"I'm sorry." He grumbled, she could feel his shoulder vibrate with every sound he made. "I didn't mean to scare you."

She let him hold her close, and loosely held her arms around his shoulders, but a shudder rippled through her as she wondered what had happened.


	10. Spotlight!

Though he stuck near her the whole night, not once did he talk directly to her, or touch her intentionally again. She kept her glances to him short, and only when she needed reassurance most. He would grace her with his elegant eyebrow quirk and then look back to their company. They sat down to eat, and it was May to break the silence with an ease that seemed natural to her. Only Dawn knew that this was not the case, and realised she was doing it on purpose.

"So Dawn, you like the strong and silent type?" She grinned and flicked her eyes to Paul and appraised him with uncharacteristic confidence.

Paul coughed in surprise, but kept his eyes low, waiting for Dawn's answer. Only it wasn't her words to reply.

"Oh, he's not silent. Trust me; he's got a mouth sharper than an Arbok." Ash chuckled, and Reggie agreed; "Yeah, he's not usually like this."

"Oh!" May gasped a little before giggling; "Drew went quiet for a while when he realised he liked me."

"May…" Ash grinned; "you're more stupid than I thought. Drew liked you a lot longer than just a year ago. Did you not realise that?!"

Drew coughed quickly and shot a warning glare to Ash, but was immediately disturbed by a hand interlocking with his.

Ash nodded with a small smirk playing at his lips; "Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me if Paul is doing the same. I mean, look at Dawn tonight!"

All eyes turned to her, and though she had many more eyes on her before, the fact that it was friends made her blush a bright red.

"Yes, you look amazing, Dawn." Reggie complimented, and many others joined him with similar praises. Dawn noticed the exchanged look between Reggie and his brother, though she couldn't really understand what silent message they were sending between each other. Not having any siblings herself, she assumed it was just one of those things.

"A toast?" Paris grinned, raising her glass. Zoey beamed with excitement; "yes, to Dawn; a worthy winner, a brilliant coordinator and a beautiful friend."

Dawn raised her glass to the crowd and thanked them lightly then sipped at her drink, the clang of her glass with another catching her attention right by her nose. She looked over to Paul, who was looking at her from the corner of his eye and drinking the remains of his glass. She looked away quickly, paranoid of his thoughts.

"The food better be ready soon…" Ash complained, but was stopped by a light pat on his thigh by Zoey. He looked over to her and she shushed him inconspicuously, eying the irritation of their table.

The babble ushered over the table, and Dawn kept her eyes on the table, tracing the beautiful patterns in the cutlery. It wasn't until she felt a gentle brush on her cheek did she stop and look up to the fingers. She felt her hair being pulled back behind her ear, but she found herself more interested in those eyes again. The unlimited blackness with no differentiation between pupil and iris that were Paul's eyes. They looked back to her with troubled thoughts reflecting through them, but they were masked with admiration. She had never really noticed how easily he emoted through them, he wasn't emotionless, but his face was drained from any portrayal to make his eyes so much livelier. Her reflection danced in inky nothingness and his dazzled in contrast to the white border around it.

Neither had realised the silence that fallen over the table, as it was covered by other conversations around the room. It was only when Dawn spotted May giggling in Paul's reflective eyes did she snap out of her hypnotic trance. His hand was still lingering by her face, and he watched her as she looked around the table. The faces were a mixture of emotions, Ash's being most prominent; pure confusion. He obviously didn't know what to make of her and Paul's silent exchange, as his eyebrows furrowed and his head tilted sideways.

Zoey's and Drew's were surprisingly similar. Neither looked too shocked with the outcome, and were simply smiling. May had her hands clasped in delight, as did Paris. Reggie looked the most shocked of all, mainly because he was the person who knew Paul best. This was so out of character for him, and Reggie couldn't comprehend.

Paul took his time to send a sharp look in each of their direction, and they all separately moved their eye-line to the table.

All except Ash, and once black met black, there would always be a fight.

"Ash? Could you go get some drinks, please? I'm thirsty." Zoey interrupted the two trainers and touched his shoulder gently. He blushed almost instantly, and stood up quickly. Once he had gone, all of the remaining people exhaled. Dawn shot a glare to Paul, who shrugged.

"Wow…" May breathed; "I've never seen Ash so riled up before, and I've seen him in a lot of battles."

The majority of the table agreed with her, as most of them had seen Ash battle.

As the conversation began to increase, Dawn found it easier to interrogate; "What was that for?"

"He should keep his nose out." Paul muttered, a sharp staccato of annoyance in his voice.

It did not stop Dawn; "he's my friend, of course he'll be interested." They stared at each other again, this time more irritated and too stubborn to give in. Eventually Dawn sighed and turned to the food that was being placed in the middle of the table. A large collection of foods scattered on silver plates, lids being lifted off and smaller plates being placed by the chairs.

"Ooh!" May squealed with excitement, clapping her hands in delight and her eyes shining as she looked over the food. Drew sighed and slid slightly away from her before she began gorging. Of course, she was the first one to reach out for the food, taking the largest slice of melon and a Prawn Cocktail for her starter. The others followed with their choices quickly.

Ash reclaimed his seat and groaned; "What!? I missed the food!?"

"There's plenty left Ash, calm down!" May grinned, taking a second helping; "but you'll never keep up with me, Ash. You never did!"

"Want a bet!?" He tucked into his starter with flying speed. May giggled and took a sip of orange juice in her lady-like manner.

With the friendly competition underway between Ash and May, the atmosphere around the table relaxed, to which Dawn was thankful for. She could feel her back was knotted with anxiety, she checked her face and hair in any reflective surface that passed.

"You look fine, Dawn." A voice whispered in her ear. She looked up from her food to find Paris smiling at her; "Your dress is stunning. An antique Arabesque piece, no?"

Dawn's eyes widened; _"Antique?"_

"I'd know that material design anywhere, the colour is one of their signature shades." Paris looked at the dress longingly, as if her own dress was nothing but rags compared to the garment before her.

Dawn turned to Paul, though he was trying not to, a smirk was playing on his lips as she inquired; "You brought me an antique dress?" He shrugged, carrying on eating and letting Paris keep talking.

"Oh Dawn! You're so lucky! They're really rare, and so beautiful! Very expensive too, Paul." The last part seemed like a part scolding, part impressed tone.

Dawn grimaced; "Paul, you shouldn't have spent so much! Now I feel guilty for accepting it… Where did you find it?"

A brief conflict flickered through his eyes until he lowered his voice; "I'll tell you later." Reggie, who had obviously been listening due to Paris being so delighted, looked at Paul with the same conflict Paul had just had. Dawn sighed, coming to the conclusion that she would never understand a brotherly bond, especially not Paul's.

Dessert had been given out, and Ash was finishing off the last of Dawn's, who had given up half way through the main course anyway. He and May, however, were still competing. Drew had also given up, claiming dessert ruined his appearance, to which May made a sarcastic remark that his fans wouldn't be too pleased if he got spots.

"Ladies and Gentlemen from all around the region; welcome to this splendid event which we pay tribute to a wonderful year of the most successful of coordinators!"

Dawn bolted upright to see that Mr. Contesta stood in the middle of the dance floor, which was currently empty. A raised platform had been placed to allow him to be center of attention. The babble of conversation came to a stop quickly, and all eyes turned to the middle of the room.

"Over the years, we have held this event for the celebration of our Grand Festival cup winners. As you know, there are now four taking place over the regions. Coordinating is still very young, and is developing more rapidly than any other career! We've turned the raw battles into beauty and perfection, adding technical effects and breeding techniques. I take pride in seeing all you young people throwing yourself whole-heartedly into the coordinating world!"

A loud cheer erupted from the tables, and applause deafened the room as it echoed. Mr. Contesta continued; "I am honoured to introduce one of the finest Coordinators the world has ever seen, the beautiful Solidad!"

"She never told me she was making the speech…" Drew's attentions perked up immediately at the name, for the woman taking to the stage was one of his best friends. May also gave a quick cheer. The woman was extremely well known, for she was the first person to have won a grand festival twice, her first in Kanto, and this year she took on Hoenn. She had been defeated in the year between her wins in the Johto grand festival by Drew, and that was a close call too.

"The honour is mine, Mr. Contesta." Her voice was charmingly sweet, and yet it sounded so mature and wise even though she looked so young! Her dress was black, so flattering on her curves in a cocktail design, a low back and spaghetti straps and the material glittered every time she moved.

"Coordinating was once a choice that was mocked for the assumed vanity it brought on Pokémon and their trainers. However, the people who sit in here now, and many more who have been here in the past, prove that it's not just about the appeal and the beauty of a combination you make. It's the combination between Coordinator and their Pokémon that makes it so enjoyable to watch." She paused a moment, and people clapped in agreement. "Another year has passed, and as familiar faces retire, new faces debut. Tonight we celebrate the victories of the Grand Festival winners."

The clapping returned, this time more thrilled and cheers became excited and eager.

"To begin the Ribbon Cup ceremony, would the current holders please stand. Kanto's top Coordinator; Alia! Johto's top Coordinator; Drew! Hoenn's top Coordinator; Thomas! And Sinnoh's top Coordinator; Fantina!"

Drew had already started making his way down before Solidad had finished rolling out the names. Dawn noticed Fantina with her wild, beautiful purple hair in large Hollywood curls and a more exquisite version of her contest dress, this time in a deep burgundy. Dawn knew of the other two winners, of course, but hadn't met them before. They both stood up together, appearing to be partners now. Maybe they'd fallen for each other on their night last year.

Mr. Contesta took the microphone of Solidad, who walked off the stage ready for the ceremony to take place.

"Congratulations, Samuel! The new Kanto coordinating champion!" A tall skinny man stood up, he looked around Reggie's age, with brown hair that was slicked back neatly. He grinned as his friend made some sarcastic remark as he walked up the stage and received the Ribbon Cup. Alia kissed the air beside his cheek and he did so in return, they shook hands and Alia turned to pass on Kanto's Ribbon Cup. He lifted it with both hands and the room was filled with screams and cheers once again.

Drew did likewise for a more mature lady, who looked older, but was still a head shorter than Drew. She had sun kissed skin, which made it obvious she was from sunny Johto. She flushed deeply when he congratulated her.

Dawn suddenly became blinded and deafened by the crowd, her heart fluttered nervously as she clapped slower and slower…

"Dawn?"

She blinked as hard as she could, but her body wouldn't move in complete stage fright, and it wasn't even her turn. She could hear them all applauding for the next one; Solidad was giving that out… Her mind couldn't focus on that though; she tried desperately to cling onto the voice that had called her name a second time now.

"She's shivering."

"Is she cold?"

"Dawn? Can you hear me?" And she knew she could, out of all the babbling voices of her friends, she could hear just the one. The one that sounded concerned, but his eyes said much more. She was very much aware of the arms that held her steady, and the fingers that checked her racing pulse. She just couldn't respond…


End file.
